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Need saw info...

Hello Everyone!

I am a High School welding teacher, and I need to get a saw for my school shop. We have a chop saw, so I am looking at cold cut or band saws. I want it to cut angles easily. I am leaning toward band saws as they seem to be a little cheaper. I probably have up to $4500 to spend, but hopefully not quite that much. I want it to be accurate, Easy to use, and TOUGH! (They kids can destroy the best of things!) I also would like it to cut 6" box tube or so...

I have been looking at Wilton and Balieh saws, but do you have any words of wisdom?

Ellis. Besides being made here in the U.S. of A. it is a fine saw set up for easily cutting angles. Except for the backbone of the saw frame and the swivel everything else is manufactured out of regular steel and should be good to go for years to come OR easily mended with a little fabrication, grinding and welding back into place. For 6" box tube you wouldn't even need that large of an Ellis model.

I'd say an Ellis as well.... blades are lots cheaper than cold saw blades....and the kids are less likely to jack up the Ellis with too fast of feed rates etc.....plus Ellis is widely used in fab shops as well as production type work so they would be familiar with the saw and it controls prior to working in the the trade.....

George W. Bush was saving your butt whether you liked it or not!
Fear is temporary, regret is forever
HH210 with SG

Yep,
But if you do have them sharpenend I use Tru cut in Ohio, $14.00 per blade.

Could you imagine what a cold saw blade would look like the first time a HS kid jammed it into a piece of stock because it was cutting too slow..... after you payed to have the teeth welded back on then sharpened you'd have been better off with a new one....

George W. Bush was saving your butt whether you liked it or not!
Fear is temporary, regret is forever
HH210 with SG